Defense bigger concern for Cowboys

October 10, 2012|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

NCAAF Team Report - Oklahoma State - INSIDE SLANT

The stop-and-start schedule Oklahoma State has experienced thus far has been a bit strange.

Off weeks proceeded the Sept. 29 game against Texas and now the Oct. 13 game at Kansas, yet coach Mike Gundy accepted the schedule from the outset and has tried to use the down time to both teach players and get them to heal.

The breaks have been especially beneficial for quarterback Wes Lunt, the true freshman who was named a starter in spring camp but then suffered a strained knee in the Sept. 15 game against Louisiana-Lafayette and is still listed as questionable. Lunt, however, has practiced in pads.

"We just have to get to the point where we are confident he can run," said Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken. "He ran a little bit the other night, so we're hopeful to get him back so we can see if he can protect himself. That's the biggest thing. Also, seeing who gives us the best chance to win."

That issue comes down to additional factors other than the quarterback position. Lunt's backup, J.W. Walsh, has played at a high level. The redshirt freshman does not give the Cowboys as strong a presence as a passer in their hurry-up attack, but he is able to improvise with his legs to add yardage on the ground.

Any problems for the Cowboys are more acute in other areas, particularly on defense. That unit ranks 46th nationally, which is respectable, yet has not been able to generate the takeaways it thrived on last year and has allowed far too many points during a 2-2 start, which included a loss to Texas in the Big 12 opener.

In particular, the Cowboys have been beaten deep too often as cornerbacks Justin Gilbert and Brodrick Brown have struggled in coverage. Neither has snagged an interception after combining for 10 last year. Together they have been credited with one breakup through four games.

In the Sept. 29 loss to Texas to begin OSU's Big 12 title defense, the Longhorns' David Ash passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns. A 32-yard sideline strike to Mike Davis keyed the game-winning drive as Gilbert was out-positioned for the football.

"We know we're better than that," Gilbert said. "(The coaches are) not just going to let us be average, and we've been out there working on it."

An additional off week could come in handy to make the necessary corrections in coverage. Creating more pressure is another thing the Cowboys need, especially after Texas effectively picked up several blitzes with proper audibles into short passes and rushes.

The game against Kansas should provide a shot of confidence. The Cowboys breezed to a 70-28 victory in last season's matchup, and the Jayhawks, while more structurally sound, are off to just a 1-4 start under first-year coach Charlie Weis.

-----------------------------------------------

NCAAF Team Report - Oklahoma State - NOTES, QUOTES

--The Oct. 13 game against Kansas is especially significant to Oklahoma State RB Joseph Randle, whose brother John played for the Jayhawks. Joseph even remembers at the time John was being recruited, Kansas coach Mark Mangino gained a strong impression for the younger running back in the family. Joseph was in just fourth grade at the time. "I was the happiest one in the house when they came by," Joseph told the Oklahoman. "I'd be popping in my highlight tapes. Not my highlight tape, the regular game. I never came off the field. So it was like the whole game was a highlight tape back then." Kansas State also recruited Randle, who settled on Oklahoma State and ranks as the Big 12's top rusher with a 133.5-yards-per-game average. When noting the early attention Kansas placed on Joseph Randle, the Jayhawks' first-year coach, Charlie Weis, deadpanned: "They should have recruited him in third grade."

--Media reports surfaced that Oklahoma State received an apology from the Big 12 office regarding a blown call at the end of the Texas defeat. A fumble by the Longhorns was ruled a touchdown, though replays indicated the Cowboys recovered the ball after it was fumbled before Texas RB Joe Bergeron reached the goal line. Big 12 officials did not confirm that league officials apologized for the call. The league office typically does not make such dialogue public.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: One of the more curious elements to the Oklahoma State attack is that it does not alter its personnel schemes too often. The fast-paced offense is designed so that calls are made at the line of scrimmage, and the majority of contributors on offense remain in the game. That also leads to some continuity, particularly from RB Joseph Randle, who not only keys the run game but is the most valuable contributor because of his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. Little drop-off in production has been noticeable through the use of two freshmen quarterbacks, J.W. Walsh and Wes Lunt.